Grand scale if a bit dated

Rating: 7/10 (7 February 2006)

THE LONGEST DAY begs for a remake -- SAVING PRIVATE RYAN style, of course. This 3-hour, widescreen retelling of D-Day stars a huge roster of then-stars like Robert Ryan, John Wayne and Robert Mitchum plus a quite-young and unknown Sean Connery. Not a drop of blood is spilled, and soldiers who are shot fall theatrically. We spend as much time in the company of the Germans as we do the Allies, which wears thin after awhile, and there are probably 2,000 extras in this early '60s epic. The special effects look pretty bad today, but I assume they were pretty impressive in their time. Minimal documentary footage is included, which is a blessing. The film is in pristine B&W, which gives it a greater sense of reality but will cost it many potential viewers. There are moments where the viewer will feel drawn into the action, particularly in the French commando siege of a hotel held by the Nazis. Some passing nuns give this incredibly tense scene a touch of whimsy. In its own, creaky and ham-handed way, THE LONGEST DAY is superior to RYAN, in that it holds one's attention the whole way through. RYAN falls apart once it leaves the beach. DAY is only beginning with its beach scenes.